Coronavirus 7: Ring in Delta Plus and then Omicron Takes Over

[Dandruff]

2 hours ago, Sarcastically spinster said:

Last I saw, CDC was still recommending masking in healthcare settings, so you're not going to see many medical facilities that aren't requiring it regardless of state requirements.  

I was just in a dental office this afternoon and as I was leaving the cubicle I remarked that I need to put my mask back on.  A staff member told me I don't have to.  I did anyway and passed a few patients in the waiting room who weren't wearing them.  At least the staff were, but damn.

[nokidsmom]

40 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

I was just in a dental office this afternoon and as I was leaving the cubicle I remarked that I need to put my mask back on.  A staff member told me I don't have to.  I did anyway and passed a few patients in the waiting room who weren't wearing them.  At least the staff were, but damn.

I had a dental appointment yesterday and everyone was masked including in the waiting room.   There was a sign on the door that masks were still required even though the statewide mask mandate was dropped on March 1.

 

[SassyPants]

I went to the dentist last week (CA), and I still checked in outside, had my temp taken, and waited outside until the waiting room was empty. So they have scheduled appointments such that only 1 person is waiting, while others are in the single occupancy rooms being cared for. Everyone is masked, except the patients being worked on.

[AmazonGrace]

My mom is in the hospital for covid now. She's on immunosuppressants and had four doses of vaccine and  had been pretty diligent in avoiding crowds and everything for two years but her hairdresser had it, so, yeah. 

 

 

Edit: and dad just called, he has it too now. He's not in need of hospital so far.

[Smash!]

I‘m so sorry @AmazonGrace 😞 I hope your mom doesn‘t need ICU care and has a full and speedy recovery. I‘m crossing all my finger that her illness doesn‘t get worse.

Stories like these make me angry as hell. So many egoistic people who refuse to wear masks and thus endangering the life of other people. Why isn‘t it common sense that you keep wearing a mask (even if it isn’t mandatory anymore) when you work in a setting where vulnerable people need to go?

 

[SassyPants]

I have heard it reported that the BA2 variant is far more communicable than Omicron. Now is not the time for masking and social distancing to be dismissed. I am slated to travel next week. Every single time I have traveled during Covid, there has been a spike. I am sick to death of those who refuse to do what is needed. When I donated blood last week, they tested for Covid antibodies and I have very good levels, enough for my plasma to be used to help those critically ill with Covid.

@AmazonGrace, healing thoughts for your folks.

Edited March 21, 2022 by SassyPants

[Smash!]

@SassyPants Safe travels! And I think it‘s really cool that your donated blood can be used to treat sick people.

 

[WiseGirl]

BA.2 Finding a home in the U.S.

Did we talk about Deltacron?  I can't keep up with these variants.

From this article  "The U.S. leads the world with 79.7 million cases and 971,328 fatalities."

*sigh* all you had to do was wear a mask...

[Smee]

This is just a shitshow. I don’t know what our government is playing at. Screenshots below are from my mother’s group (which includes a few teachers):

Spoiler

 

[Smash!]

@Smee how are you and your kids doing? 

This is insane. I‘m sorry your mom has to work under such conditions. So much for „just let the virus spread because control measures are bad for the economy“

[CTRLZero]

I’ve lost track of if we have mask mandates or not in our local area (south of Seattle).  I didn’t see any of the usual signs posted when we went grocery shopping.  Approximately 60% of shoppers wore masks, and all checkers were masked.  Another business we visited had a sign “masks optional,” and approximately 30% continued to wear masks.

My neighbor, who substitute teaches, says illness is still raging through the schools as masks come off.  Now it’s flu that is hitting hard, but Covid is still out there.  She’s really stressed and ready to call it a day as far as ever entering a classroom again. 

According to my local county health department, people are still being hospitalized and dying from Covid (30+ deaths so far this month), so we are still taking all the precautions.  

 

[WiseGirl]

19 hours ago, CTRLZero said:

She’s really stressed and ready to call it a day as far as ever entering a classroom again. 

Her and a lot of other teachers I know...it's been a hot mess. 

[Smash!]

Gosh our Federal Council plans to drop all measures including isolation by the beginning of April. Nothing is set in stone yet but I don’t doubt they will do it. They also had their Covid press conference yesterday and announced it would be their last one. A fourth Covid vaccine comes Fall at earliest.

This is one big WTF. We have lots of cases, test positivity is around 40-50% but they end all measures because the ICU‘s aren‘t overloaded anymore. Like we are still in the middle of the pandemic and the Federal Council declares it being over and doesn‘t held even a press conference regarding the situation anymore. 

[Sarcastically spinster]

8 hours ago, Smash! said:

We have lots of cases, test positivity is around 40-50% but they end all measures because the ICU‘s aren‘t overloaded anymore.

Not to negate the rest of your comment at all, but I saw an analysis saying that test positivity rate isn't really a good metric at this point.  It's skewed by places that may be doing routine testing that may not get reported as commonly, and by the use of at-home tests.  A lot of people are probably doing at-home tests, and if it's negative they don't seek out another test, and so the negative never gets reported.  

When all tests were getting reported, it was a fairly good metric, but there are so many that aren't getting reported at this point that it's probably not nearly as useful as it once was.  

[Coconut Flan]

Not to mention also, but my doctor has said test at home and if that's positive, I'll get treatment by telemedicine and that's not officially reported to the county either.   He said there is no need in most cases to back a positive home test with a PCR test especially if there are symptoms.  So none of my negative tests are reported, none of the grandkids every holiday required home tests are reported, but neither are many positives.  

[Smash!]

@Sarcastically spinster Good point! Never thought about that.

@Coconut Flan Here the recommendation by the doctors is to get a PCR if you have a positive hometest because if you have issues following a Covid infection you need proof of that.

[Coconut Flan]

4 minutes ago, Smash! said:

Here the recommendation by the doctors is to get a PCR if you have a positive hometest because if you have issues following a Covid infection you need proof of that.

I've heard that concern.  That really isn't going to be an issue with me given my circumstances.  

[AmazonGrace]

Update: Mom got out of hospital. My dad, my aunt, and probably  my uncle have it but they haven't needed hospital.

[Smee]

On 3/24/2022 at 9:12 AM, Smash! said:

@Sarcastically spinster Good point! Never thought about that.

@Coconut Flan Here the recommendation by the doctors is to get a PCR if you have a positive hometest because if you have issues following a Covid infection you need proof of that.

Here you can (& have to, I believe) report a positive home test and then you get emailed/texted information about taking care of yourself at home, when to call an ambulance & what to say, how long to isolate for etc. That registration & letter is sufficient for all the situations where you need to “prove” a prior infection.

On 3/23/2022 at 10:57 PM, Smash! said:

Gosh our Federal Council plans to drop all measures including isolation by the beginning of April. Nothing is set in stone yet but I don’t doubt they will do it. They also had their Covid press conference yesterday and announced it would be their last one. A fourth Covid vaccine comes Fall at earliest.

This is one big WTF. We have lots of cases, test positivity is around 40-50% but they end all measures because the ICU‘s aren‘t overloaded anymore. Like we are still in the middle of the pandemic and the Federal Council declares it being over and doesn‘t held even a press conference regarding the situation anymore. 

Have they been chatting to our government? 😕 ICU rates is all anyone cares about now, so long as the hospitals aren’t overwhelmed they’re happy for everyone to get it and get it multiple times.

 I did hear on the radio the other day that researchers in Melbourne were trialling a new vaccine that targets the tip of the spike protein and has the goal of covering more strains with less frequent boosters. They basically said that most people have some immunity from prior vax and/or infection, so now their focus is on new strains.

[adidas]

Please can I have some help? This is negative right? That tiny line (without any colour) is just where the line would be (and a lot darker) if I was positive. 

I have to leave for a work trip in an hour and I need to have a negative result. I’m sure I’m seeing things.

[adidas]

Don’t worry - I did another test with a different brand and it is very clearly negative. Phew! 

[Ozlsn]

14 hours ago, adidas said:

Don’t worry - I did another test with a different brand and it is very clearly negative. Phew! 

I swear you can see different things in different lights. I was holding mine at different angles to try and confirm it... it was negative.

[Dandruff]

There's talk in the US of authorizing a second booster to people over 50.  I'm wondering whether it might be better to wait for a vaccine that better covers variants.  Does anyone know if there's a vaccine like that in the near-term pipeline?

[TeaGrannie]

Can anyone that has had the newest variant describe how it progressed? Found out I was exposed in the office, starting to become symptomatic with something but two rapid tests negative. 

[Coconut Flan]

This isn't surprising news, but the gap is still very large between the death rate in red and blue states.

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/red-blue-america-glaring-divide-covid-19-death/story?id=83649085